It is said that the only two certainties in life are death and taxes. If there is a third constant, it may be that the cost of shaving is higher than it need to be. Popular name brand cartridge razors dominate the shaving market, however it wasn’t too long ago that safety razor were king.
What’s more, making the switch to wet shaving with a safety razor can save a lot of money in both the short and long-term.
Wet Shaving With Safety Razors
Safety razors first began as an alternative to straight razor shaving. A safety razor refers to a single blade, disposable razor attached to a permanent handle. Depending on when he learned and who taught your husband how to shave, he may already be familiar with wet shaving.
Wet shaving uses hot water and shaving cream to create a lubricated surface for the safety razor. Compared to cartridge brand or electric razors, wet shaving delivers a closer, cleaner, more even shave.
Is it really a better shave?
Cartridge razor companies would have you believe that more blades = better shave. The truth is that this is not the case. The reason cartridge razors keep adding blades is because they know cartridge razors aren’t as effective as safety razors. The multiple blades are there so that each subsequent blade has a shot at grabbing the hair that was missed by the one in front of it.
Safety razors use one blade for one reason: that’s all they need to be effective.
Does it Really Save Money?
There are a variety of safety razors on the market, each with different features and different costs. In general, a safety razor itself (not the blade) will cost around the same as a cartridge brand razor (such as Gillette).
Because only the blade is replaced in a safety razor, the real value is in the cost of the blades versus cartridge brand replacements.
Average cost of a safety razor blade: $0.10
Average cost of a Gillette cartridge replacement: $3.30.
In other words, you can purchase 33 safety razor blades for the price of one Gillette cartridge. In addition, many safety razor blades are double-edged, meaning both sides can be used which will extend the life of the blade.
Package of 100 safety razor blades: $10.00
Package of 8 Gillette Cartridges: $30.00
Depending on how often a man shaves, a single package of 100 safety razor blades may last over a year while multiple packages of Gillette replacements will be needed. Over the course of a year, the savings can reach over $200
To put this in perspective, the money saved by switching to wet shaving with safety razors is enough to pay for nearly two years of a Netflix subscription. If Orange is the New Black, safety razors are the new awesome
Bottom Line
Saving $200 a year (or more) on shaving supplies while at the same time receiving a better shave is a win for any man. What’s more, the art of wet shaving has been increasing in popularity in recent years. There are a variety of blade and handle styles as well as accessories to suit any man’s shaving preferences.
Saving money + better shave = win/win.
Author Bio: Wesley owns iManscape.com. A place for manly things such as safety razors, beards, and of course the redefining of manscaping. For more visit his website or like iManscape on Facebook.
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